Track-packing machines



May 14, 1957 F. SCHNELLMANN TRACK-PACKING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1953 A .Z'nVe/vor: FerdmandSdme//mann @yh/'s a/fomey MJ a im,

F. SCHNELLMANN 2,791,971

TRACK-PACKING MACHINES May 14, 1957 Filed Feb. 27. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fnl/enfon- Fe/dmand Schne//mann By /7/'5 affomey :May 14, 1957 F. SCHNELLMANN 2,791,971

TRACK-PACKING MACHINES Filed Feb. 2"?1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fn/e/jon E Fard/n and Schne//mann By /I/'s aflarney 'May 14, 1957 F. scHNl-:LLMANN v 297%,971

TRACK-PACKING MACHINES Im/anton' Fard/nana Schne//mann By /'s affome y 7M@ www United States Patenti() TRACK-PACKING MACHINES Application February 27, 19s3,`seria1 No. 339,434

Claims priority, application Germany August 22, 1952 2 Claims. (Cl. 104-12) The present invention is for improvements in track- "7 packing machines for packing ballast'un'der the Vsleepers of railway rails. It is essential in the packing oepration to ensure that the ballast is packed uniformly mosaicfashion under that part of the sleeper which supports the rail. In the track-packing machines employed at present, the packing tools are arranged at both sides of the rails and are constructed as picks with packing plates which penetrate into the ballast located alongside the sleepers and are moved towards one another by means of mechanically driven threaded spindles, the pivot point of the packing arms with connected picks remaining at an invariable distance from an eccentric shaft producing the vibrations. This means that in the opening and closing of the packing tools, the inclination is limited in relation to a vertical hypothetical line passing through the pivot point. Thus the ballast is always packed at the same angle to the vertical sleeper axis, in practice in a substantially horizontal direction, below that part of the sleeper which supports the rail.

The present invention overcomes this diiculty by providing that packing assemblies are arranged in connection with a travelling track-packing machine, with which assemblies the arms with connected picks can be shifted to any desired inclined position so that they force, in the manner of tongs, the ballast under that part of the sleeper which supports the rail.

According to the present invention, there is provided a track-packing machine, wherein the pick holders are pivotally mounted substantially at their centre point and are connected with one another in opposition at their upper ends.

The present invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of the complete machine;

Figure 2 illustrates a front elevation of Figure l, in the direction of the `arrow therein;

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of a packing box;

Figure 4 illustrates a side elevation of the packing box;

Figure 5 illustrates a section on the line A--A in Figure 4;

Figure 6 illustrates a view on the line B-B in Figure 4;

Figure 7 illustrates a control diagram for the actuation of the packing assemblies;

Figure 8 illustrates a diagram of the control block and slide; and

Figure 9 is a diagram which illustrates the electrical installations of the complete track-packing machine.

Referring Ito the drawings, Xa frame 1 of `a track-packing machine is moved on rails 2 by means of two pairs of wheels 3 and 4 between which there is disposed a packing box 5 which is raised and lowered on a column 6 and a slide rail 7. Upward and downward movement of the packing box 5 is effected by the friction wheels 9 c 2,791,971 ICC being driven by means of an electric motor 8. The friction wheels 9 'are made to bear by means of springs upon vertical draw bars 10 to which the packing box 5 is rigidly connected. When travelling to and from the place of work, the said packing box 5 is suspended and secured by means of a hook 11 which engages around a pin 12, the said hook serving, when the packing operation is in progress, as a stroke-limiting means in the upward movement of the packing box 5, the release of the hook 11 being effected by means of a lever 13.

Arranged on the packing box 5 are pick holders 14 into which are fitted picks 15 and packing plates 15' are mounted upon the lower ends ofthe said picks.. The pick holders 14 are pivotally mounted near their midpoints on a cross-head 16. At their tops they are each pivotally connected, by means `of an intermediate link 17, with a pressure ram 18 by bolts 19. The two pressure rams 18 are guided by means of the pressure cylinder 20.

The cross-head 16 is pivotally connected with an eccentric 23 (Figure 1) by means of a pin 21 and a connecting rod 22, the said eccentric being driven by means of a rotating shaft 24 and the mounting of the cross-head 16 being effected by means of a pair of guide shafts 25. By the rotation of the shaft 24, the eccentrics 23 cause a sliding movement which is transmitted to the cross-head 16 by way of the connecting rod 22.

The rotating shaft 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 by way of V-belts 27, the s-aid shaft driving a pump 29 by means of a pair of gear wheels 2S, said pump serving to feed the pressure cylinder 20, the oil being drawn from the tank 30. The electric motors 8, 26 and a further electric motor 33 are fed by a generator which is driven by a diesel engine 32. The movement of the track-packing machine is effected by driving the pair of wheels 4 by means of the electric motor 33.

In the packing operation, the first movement is the lowering of -the packing box 5. The picks 15 together with the packing plates 15' lare then forced into the ballast to such an extent that the packing plates 15' in their final position are beneath the base of the sleeper.

The opening and closing movements are effected by oil by means of the pressure cylinder 20 and pressure ram 18, each pair of the picks 15 operating independently, which is not the case with known track-packing machines. The pick holders 14 and the picks 15 have imparted thereto, by means of the eccentric 23, a continuous shaking movement so that both the lowering of the packing plates into the ballast takes place more easily and, during the packing operation, the ballast does not become wedged.

The opening and closing of the packing tools is elected by a hand lever 43 (Figure 2) through a control block 34 provided with a slide valve 35, one embodiment of the control block being illustrated in Figure 8. By means of a pump 29, oil is drawn from the tank 30 through the pipe 36 and forced by way of the pipe 37 to the control block 34, which comprises two horizontal and two vertical bores. ln the control slide valve, there are only two bores which are staggered by A pressure regulating valve 38 is fitted in the pipe 37 between the pump 29 and the control block 34.

In order to obtain the closing movement of the packing tools, the passage to the pipe 39 is opened and oil is forced into the cylinder 20, there acting upon the pistons 40, and moves the pressure rams 18 outwardly, thus closing the packing tools. The oil which is on the other side of each piston 40 is displaced through the pipes 4l into the control block 34 and is returned to the tank 3%. The opening movement of the said packing tools takes place in the opposite manner, and, in order to limit the end positions of the packing tools, non-return valves 42 are tted (Figure 7).

'Figure 9 illustrates diagraunnatically the electrical vin-r stallation of the vcomplete track-pa'clring'machine, in which a diesel engine 32 drives av generator 31, the main cable 44 being led lo a distributor 45, which comprises four switches 46, 47, 48 and 49. l

A cable 50 leads from the switch 48 by way vof a footoperated reversing switch 51 and conduits 52 to the two motors 8, which change their direction of rotation accordandl mechanical means connected to the pivots to shake ing to whether the packing box S is to be raised or lowered. i

Switches 53 are included for switching 01T each separate assembly. Cables 54 and 5S lead from the switches 47 and 49 to the two motors 26, which drive the eccentric shaft 24. A cable 56 leads from the switch 46 byway of a stop switch 57 to the motor 33 which drives the rear wheels.

What yI claim as my invention and desire lto secure by Letters Patent of the'United States is:V

1. A track-packing machine Ahaving opposed pick holders, picks in said holders, horizontal pivots vfor lthe holders near `the midpoints of the latter and 'transverse of the machine about which pivots the holders are movable,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 262,746 .Davies Aug. l5, 1882 1,017,011 Mead Feb. 13, 1912 1,980,704 Scheuchzer |Nov. 13, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 269,733 Switzerland of 1950 

